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Malawi president is inaugurated Malawi president is inaugurated
(about 5 hours later)
Malawi's President Bingu wa Mutharika has been sworn in for a second term after a landslide election win. Malawi's President Bingu wa Mutharika has been sworn in for a second five-year term.
The election commission said he had won more than 2.7m votes, with nearest rival John Tembo taking nearly 1.3m. During an inauguration ceremony attended by several regional leaders, Mr Mutharika said fighting corruption would continue to be a top priority.
Mr Tembo cried foul but his opposition coalition backer, ex-President Bakili Muluzi, congratulated the incumbent. Earlier Malawi's election commission said he had won more than 2.7m votes, with nearest rival John Tembo taking nearly 1.3m.
Mr Mutharika's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) also won a majority in parliament. Regional heads of state are in Malawi for the inauguration. The opposition, which contests the results, boycotted the inauguration.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, Zambia's President Rupiya Banda, Mozambican President Armando Guebuza and Tanzanian Vice-President Ali Mohammed Shein were due to attend the ceremony. During the ceremony in the main stadium in Blantyre, Mr Mutharika said: "I shall continue to fight corruption because it is evil... it robs the poor and denies them their legitimate right to a decent living."
Song and dance Presidents attending the event included Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, Zambia's Rupiya Banda, and Mozambique's Armando Guebuza.
South Africa, Rwanda, Swaziland and Lesotho were also expected to send representatives to the inauguration at the Kamuzu national stadium in Blantyre.
The BBC's Raphael Tenthani at the event says the 50,000-capacity arena is packed full, with the official blue party colour of the DPP everywhere among spectators.
State TV in Malawi reported that the president had won more than 60% of votes cast.
Malawi Electoral Commission chairperson, Justice Anastansia Msosa, announced the outcome early on Friday with 93% of results in.
These elections have been rigged John TemboMalawi Congress Party leader Bingu wa Mutharika: Leading man Q&A: Elections in MalawiThese elections have been rigged John TemboMalawi Congress Party leader Bingu wa Mutharika: Leading man Q&A: Elections in Malawi
"As the outstanding votes cannot in any way affect the results, the commission has decided to... declare the leading candidate duly elected," she said. The BBC's Raphael Tenthani at the event says the 50,000-capacity arena was packed full, with the official blue party colour of Mr Mutharika's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) everywhere.
There were five other presidential candidates and they shared three per cent of the votes. DPP supporters sang "Moses Wa Lero", describing Mr Mutharika as a "modern-day Moses".
Mr Mutharika, a 75-year-old former World Bank official, saw his DPP take the lion's share of parliamentary votes, after partial results. Mr Mutharika, a 75-year-old former World Bank official, saw his DPP take the lion's share of parliamentary votes.
Out of 133 of the 193 seats that make up Malawi's parliament, the DPP took 78; Mr Tembo's Malawi Congress Party (MCP) 18; Mr Bakili Muluzi's United Democratic Front (UDF) 12. Foreign concern
One seat each went to the northern-based Alliance for Democracy and the little-known Malawi Forum for Unity and Development. Mr Mutharika's running mate Joyce Banda, becomes the first female vice-president in Malawi's history.
Twenty-three seats went to independent candidates. Election commission head Anastacia Msosa announces the result
'Unfair advantage' International poll monitors said they were "extremely concerned" by what they called a lack of balanced coverage from state media during the campaign.
International poll monitors said the president had enjoyed an unfair advantage, noting they were "extremely concerned" by what they called a lack of balanced coverage from state media. Mr Tembo rejected the official results, telling reporters that they had been "rigged".
Commission head Anastancia Msosa announces the result But his opposition coalition partner, former President Bakili Muluzi, who had backed Mr Tembo after being himself barred from seeking a third term, congratulated Mr Mutharika.
And Mr Tembo refused to admit defeat, telling a news conference in the capital, Lilongwe: "These elections have been rigged. The result was extraordinary, very, very unusual." The poll followed a five-year feud between Mr Muluzi and his successor.
But Mr Muluzi, who had backed Mr Tembo after being himself barred from seeking a third term, struck a different note. Mr Mutharika was elected in 2004 but then fell out with Mr Muluzi, accusing his one-time backer of trying to stonewall his anti-corruption drive.
"I conveyed my congratulations to him [Mr Mutharika] for the victory and wished him well and his DPP party," he told media.
The poll followed a five-year feud between Mr Muluzi and his successor that had brought a failed impeachment bid, parliamentary deadlock and coup plot claims.
Mr Mutharika was elected on a UDF ticket in 2004 but then fell out with Mr Muluzi, accusing his one-time backer of trying to stonewall an anti-corruption drive.
The president quit his rival's party in 2005 to form the DPP and lead a minority government.
Poverty, agriculture and health care are the big issues for Malawi, where two-thirds of the 14 million population lives on less than $1 a day and Aids has orphaned an estimated one million children.Poverty, agriculture and health care are the big issues for Malawi, where two-thirds of the 14 million population lives on less than $1 a day and Aids has orphaned an estimated one million children.
Are you in Malawi? What were your experiences of the election? Send us your comments. Your comments:
In most cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. name="say"> The general feeling here in Malawi is that of jubilation. Many of us knew that Bingu would winÂ…but certainly not with a landslide victory. This was a protest vote. Not many Malawians would have wanted to go back to UDF or MCP rule. On the face of it and to every Malawian, it's clear that the country is on course to make considerable strides in development.
The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/terms/">Terms & Conditions Chivwiko, Blantyre, Malawi
It is inevitable that John Tembo will attempt to muddy the water by disputing the election results, but the BBC should be clear that this is a very different situation to the recent polls in Kenya and Zimbabwe. Mutharika has enormous popular support, and has had the most successful economic, social and governance record of any Malawian president. We hope that his is able to use the new DPP legislative majority for the benefit of the Malawian people.
Nick, Lilongwe, Malawi
Malawi has once again renewed her reputation of being the Warm Heart of Africa, a shining beacon of African Democracy. When the World was in anticipation to witness electoral upheavals, now so much akin to the continent, Malawians have instead demonstrated that peace and tranquility can lace up elections in Africa when they turned out in large numbers to vote into Government a man who by any measure deserves to lead them for another 5-year term.
Paul, Lilongwe, Malawi
The fact is that Dr Bingu Wa Mutharika is a genuine winner of the elections. For the first time in the history of elections in Malawi, people have not voted on regional, tribal and religious lines. This is what has deceived Tembo into thinking that Bingu has rigged the elections.
African leaders should come to terms with the bitter fact that in every presidential election there can only be one winner. I can describe this year's elections as the most successful in the history of Malawi. The whole electoral process was very transparent. No single incident of violence was reported on the voting day. Malawi's democracy is fast maturing.
Malani, Nkhotakota, Malawi